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China Danxia

China Danxia

Brief Description

Brief Description China Danxia is the name given in China to landscapes developed on continental red terrigenous sedimentary beds influenced by endogenous forces (including uplift) and exogenous forces (including weathering and erosion). The inscribed site comprises six areas found in the sub-tropical zone of south-west China. They are characterized by spectacular red cliffs and a range of erosional landforms, including dramatic natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls. These rugged landscapes have helped to conserve sub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests, and host many species of flora and fauna, about 400 of which are considered rare or threatened.

Danxia receives world recognition from UNESCO

BEIJING, 2010 Aug. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to include the China Danxia Landform in the World Heritage List at its 34th meeting in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on Sunday. The addition pushed the number of China's world heritage sites to 40, including 29 cultural heritage sites, seven natural sites and four cultural and natural heritage sites. "The Danxia Landform of China" is the general name of a serial nomination for World Natural Heritages. The nomination consists of six geologically-related Danxia Landform areas, which collectively feature outstanding universal values of Danxia geomorphology in Southeast China. "It is a thorny process for the Danxia Landform to be added into UNESCO's heritage list," Wang Zhiguang, deputy director of the construction department of Central China's Hunan province, was quoted by China National Radio as saying on Monday.

"It takes time for the panels from the World Heritage Committee to accept the new idea that six well-bound areas are applying for the world heritage status together," Cai Xiangfen, deputy director of the managing committee of Mountain Longhushan in Jiangxi province, said.

Danxia Landform, a unique type of petrographic geomorphology, could be defined as "landform consisting of red bed characterized by steep cliffs". The total core area of the landform is 73,945 hectares.